80. Major DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has drawn the attention of the Secretary of State for War to the irrelevance of the figures regarding the relative numbers of Regular officers and New Army and Territorial officers who have been promoted to Staff appointments, as quoted by him in his speech at the Aldwyeh Club; and whether he can inform the House what steps the Secretary of State for War proposes to take to carry out the expressed intention of the Commander-in-Chief in France with regard to this matter?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am afraid I am not clear as to what my hon. and gallant Friend means by the irrelevance of the figures referred to. As I have already stated in answer to previous questions, it has never been the policy of the Army Council to debar officers of the New Army or Territorial Force from the higher appointments. On the contrary, all officers, of whatever branch, are on the same list, and are selected solely in accordance with merit. This policy is naturally being given effect to in increasing measure in the case of officers of the New Army or Territorial Force as they gain in experience.